Pictures and GPS data to be added later, sorry.
54 miles (887 total)

We left our Charleston EconoLodge after a 6 am breakfast. We are getting hotel breakfast as early as possible, but the days are warming up faster and faster. We might have to start skipping hotel breakfast so we can hit the road even earlier in the day. I am getting sick of it anyway.

I still can't believe that the Comfort Inn in town wouldn't let us put our bikes indoors. We are boycotting them the entire trip. So far Drury motels seem to be the most biker friendly.

We stopped at a gas station in _____ for a quick snack. I just can't eat a big breakfast at 6am and am hungry soon after. By 8 am I am ready for lunch.

Ice cream at 8:30 am is awesome!

The road today was nearly perfect. I gave it a 7/10; I annoyed the girls by wishing for hills. The headwind limited us to about 12mph for most of the day, slowing to 10mph on occasions.

We road through nice peaceful farmland; a well deserved break from the traffic we have seen through much of Misourri.

Mike, a really great guy we ran into in Dorena invited us into his place for some shade, AC, bathrooms, and soda. He said we should come ride in their http://tourdecorn.com/ next year. He apparantly helps organize it! Thanks Mike!

Dorena consisted of a couple buildings. Mike said it used to be a nice little town. He told us a bit about his family farm, and showed us some of his photos. Apparantly he is one of very few cyclists in the area. In his farming clothes he sure doesn't look like a bike rider! It was a neat surprise. He saw us in the previous town and was waiting for us when we got to his place.

We took the Dorena Hickman Riverboat Ferry from Misourri into Kentucky. We just missed the ferry and had to wait for it to come back. A salesman from Kentucky was there and talked to us for a while. A nice guy. He found a cute little turtle hiding under a leaf. The heat had arrived by this point, so we all hid under a tree.

While moving the sun is bearable, but as soon as you stand still the skin instantly gets hot.

The Ferry was $15 total; the guy had to write a complete hand written reciept for each bike (each vehicle had to have one). Taters got a T-Shirt. This was our 3rd ferry of the trip.

We crossed all the way over Kentucky in one day, 9 miles.

We all took a break at the Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge. Taters liked that the signs all said “please touch” instead of the normal signs at museums. She quit touching pelts when the wolf fur got all over her.

The inn here __name__ in Samburg is really nice and priced right. Taters was bummed to find out she couldn't clean a duck in her room though. I am going to have to tell her she can't charge her cell phone.

Taters noticed that there was an auto body shop every second or third business in Misourri. It seems to have lessened since leaving Misourri. Does this reflect upon their driving abilities in the area or maybe they simply cannot stand having dented cars?

The Pier restaurant across the street gave us way too much food. Chuck and I did not have room for desert, so we went back later.

Chuck and I decided that we are really sick of lemonade, yet we can't stop asking for refills. It tastes so bad, yet I want another glass.

It was sure nice to be done biking by 3pm because it was really getting warm. The breeze is gone, so you can't stand still. If you keep moving it helps.

I am having problems picking routes. The towns with amnemities seem to be about 50 miles apart. 50 miles is not enough for 1 days ride, but 100 is too far. Hmmmm.

For the first time in the trip Taters said she is a bit homesick. She misses her family, even her siblings. I assume it was the heat talking. Okay, I miss home too, but we will see everyone soon.

Well,time for bed. We are going to be ready for breakfast at 6am when the Pier opens. Hopefully they can serve us fast so we can hit the road. Tomorrow is going to be a lot of miles, with a headwind, even hotter, and probably hillier than today.